That's enough of this seriousness. Let's have a silly poem.
One of my all-time favorites will be making an appearance here today, and there are so many ways to appreciate it. It first appeared in lines from the great comic strip "Pogo," and appeared in several collections of Pogo strips and Pogo merchandise in its present form. It was also recorded in song form on the excellent album "Songs of the Pogo" by Walt Kelly and Norman Monath. They Might Be Giants did a fine cover of it. Seek it out in any of these forms and you'll find some other treats worthy of your attention as well.
I have little to say about the poem itself; it's a moment of crystallized genius. The final couplet has been a front-runner for my personal motto for years.
LINES UPON A TRANQUIL BROW
Have ever, while pondering the ways of the morn,
Thought to save just a little bit, just a drop in the horn,
To pour in the evening or late afternoon
Or during the night when we're shining the moon?
Have you ever cried out, while counting the snow,
Or watching the tomtit warble hello...
"Break out the cigars, this life is for squirrels;
We're off to the drugstore to whistle at girls."
?
- Walt Kelly
Tomorrow: serious business.
Legal notice:
Some may feel that the inclusion of works not in the public domain is a violation of the fair-use doctrine of US copyright law. I obviously do not agree, but I will gladly defer to the wishes of the rightsholder, and if anyone wishes for a post of their work or work for which they own the intellectual rights to be taken down, they may ask for its removal and it will be so. I claim no ownership and have no rights as to the works I will be posting, save for any that were written by me.
One of my all-time favorites will be making an appearance here today, and there are so many ways to appreciate it. It first appeared in lines from the great comic strip "Pogo," and appeared in several collections of Pogo strips and Pogo merchandise in its present form. It was also recorded in song form on the excellent album "Songs of the Pogo" by Walt Kelly and Norman Monath. They Might Be Giants did a fine cover of it. Seek it out in any of these forms and you'll find some other treats worthy of your attention as well.
I have little to say about the poem itself; it's a moment of crystallized genius. The final couplet has been a front-runner for my personal motto for years.
LINES UPON A TRANQUIL BROW
Have ever, while pondering the ways of the morn,
Thought to save just a little bit, just a drop in the horn,
To pour in the evening or late afternoon
Or during the night when we're shining the moon?
Have you ever cried out, while counting the snow,
Or watching the tomtit warble hello...
"Break out the cigars, this life is for squirrels;
We're off to the drugstore to whistle at girls."
?
- Walt Kelly
Tomorrow: serious business.
Legal notice:
Some may feel that the inclusion of works not in the public domain is a violation of the fair-use doctrine of US copyright law. I obviously do not agree, but I will gladly defer to the wishes of the rightsholder, and if anyone wishes for a post of their work or work for which they own the intellectual rights to be taken down, they may ask for its removal and it will be so. I claim no ownership and have no rights as to the works I will be posting, save for any that were written by me.
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